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Mobilinkd TNC4 User Manual

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TNC4 User Guide
Mobilinkd TNC4 User Guide
Rev A - 2023-02-05
Thank you for purchasing your new Mobilinkd TNC4 Battery-powered Bluetooth TNC.
This TNC is designed to suit all aspects of the Amateur Radio community. It is ready to plug in and go
with easy to use and intuitive configuration software, and it is completely open for experimentation.
The schematics are published and all software used in the TNC is open source and available online.
Warning
Do not store your TNC where prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures can occur (such
as in the trunk or cabin of a car). It can cause permanent damage.
•Short term storage: -4° – 140°F (-20°C – 60°C)
•Long Term Storage: 32° – 77°F (0°C – 25°C)
•Operating Temperature: -4°F – 131°F (-20°C – 55°C)
Regulatory Information
This is the stuff I am legally obligated to put in this document If I am obligated to put it in here, you
are obligated to read it. Enjoy!
United States of America
Contains FCC ID:A8TBM78ABCDEFGH
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate
radio frequency energy, and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not
occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or
television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is
connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
• Or, you know – you're a licensed amateur radio operator. Figure it out!

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Summary of Contents for Mobilinkd TNC4

  • Page 1 Mobilinkd TNC4 User Guide Rev A - 2023-02-05 Thank you for purchasing your new Mobilinkd TNC4 Battery-powered Bluetooth TNC. This TNC is designed to suit all aspects of the Amateur Radio community. It is ready to plug in and go with easy to use and intuitive configuration software, and it is completely open for experimentation.
  • Page 2 You’re an ham radio operator. Go wild. Europe The Microchip BM78 radio module inside the TNC4 has been fully tested to comply with EC requirements for CE marking. These tests include Health, Safety, EMC and Radio. Further testing of the final product (the TNC4) was conducted to ensure compliance of the integrated product.
  • Page 3 TNC4 User Guide Korea I think Korea requires that I provide a user manual in Korean. I don’t (yet) speak, read or write the language. Sorry. Give Google Translate a try: Taiwan 注意 依據 低功率電波輻射性電機管理辦法 第十二條 經型式認證合格之低功率射頻電機，非經許 可， 公司、商號或使用者均不得擅自變更頻率、加大功率或 變更原設計...
  • Page 4 The BM78 module is labeled with its own CMIIT ID as follows: CMIIT ID: 2015DJ7133 PLEASE NOTE: The TNC4 does not meet CMIIT equipment marking requirements at this time. Hereby, Microchip Technology Inc. declares that the radio equipment type BM78/BM78 ROM module is in compliance with the Radio Equipment Regulations 2017.

  • Page 5: The Mobilinkd Tnc System

    USB CDC (serial port emulation). KISS TNC The TNC4 is a KISS TNC, which means that it is purely a modem and not really a terminal node controller. A more accurate description of the TNC4 and all KISS devices is a KISS modem. The TNC4 does not manipulate the packets it receives in any manner.

  • Page 6: Tnc Switches, Connectors And Indicators

    TNC4 User Guide TNC Switches, Connectors and Indicators The Mobilinkd TNC4 has three switches, two connectors and two indicators. Each of these is shown in the image and described below. S1 – Power button. Press for 2 seconds to turn on. RGB LED will flash yellow, the slowly blink blue.

  • Page 7: Before First Use

    48 hours of continuous use. TNC Cable The TNC must be connected to the radio via a cable. Mobilinkd sells cables for a wide range of hand- held radios, as well as data cables for mobile and base radios with TNC ports.

  • Page 8: Connecting The Tnc

    1. Press S1 briefly to turn on TNC. The blue LED will flash slowly. 2. Ensure Bluetooth is enabled on other device. 3. On other device, scan for Bluetooth devices. You should see “TNC4 Mobilinkd”. 4. Connect to “TNC4 Mobilinkd”. The pairing should happen automatically.

  • Page 9: Pairing With Windows

    However, it is important to note that Windows will occasionally ask for a password when pairing with the TNC4. If this happens, use the pairing code “123456”. We have no idea why this happens. If you have a support contract with Microsoft, you are welcome to ask them about it. No other operating system has ever been reported to do this.

  • Page 10: Configuring The Tnc

    “Close” button to go back to this screen. Most of this guide assumes you will be using the TNC4 for APRS and will be using it for 1200 baud AFSK, which is the common standard for APRS, and is the most widely used mode for VHF packet radio.

  • Page 11: Configuring The Power Settings

    To power off when USB power is removed, select the “Power off with USB Power” option. The TNC4 will still power on via the Power button when USB power is not present and “Power off with USB Power” is enabled.

  • Page 12: Modem Settings

    Other options will appear and be greyed-out (unselectable) because they do not apply to the TNC4. A note for iOS users: the Modem Setting screen will show fewer options because the TNC2 is not supported on iOS, and some of...

  • Page 13: Configuring Receive (Rx/Input) Volume

    TNC4 User Guide Configuring Receive (RX/Input) Volume The radio's volume level must be properly adjusted for optimal packet decoding. Press the “Audio Input Settings” button. 1. Turn the radio on. If the squelch is set to be open (as you did when following the instructions above), you should see the input volume level on the audio meter.

  • Page 14: Configuring Transmit And (Tx/Output) Volume

    TNC4 User Guide Configuring Transmit and (TX/Output) Volume Select the “Audio Output Settings” button on the main menu to open the audio output settings. Modern ham radios use two different signaling methods for the Push-to- Talk (PTT) signal, which causes the radio to transmit.

  • Page 15: Configuring The Kiss Parameters

    TNC4 User Guide Configuring the KISS Parameters These parameters are best left at their default values: TX Delay – 33 Persistence – 64 Slot Time – 10 TX Tail – 2 TX Delay represents the amount of time in 10s of milliseconds that the TNC will key the radio and transmit the preamble before sending the packet.

  • Page 16: Firmware Update

    Before starting, turn the radio off to avoid accidentally transmitting bad APRS data. 1. Ensure the TNC is on and paired with the Android device. Make sure the Mobilinkd Config app is disconnected and that you have exited the app. Leaving the Mobilinkd Config app connected will prevent APRSdroid from connecting to the TNC.

  • Page 17: Sending Your First Packet

    1. Under “Connection Protocol”, select “TNC (KISS)”. 2. Under “Connection Type”, select “Bluetooth SPP”. 3. Under “TNC Bluetooth Device”, select “TNC4 Mobilinkd” 4. Return to the main screen. 5. There are three views: Hub, Map, and Log. Ensure you are in Log view.
  • Page 18 The aprs.fi app for iOS is available from the Apple App Store. It is the first app on iOS to support the Mobilinkd TNC4. Connect the TNC4 to your radio with the appropriate TNC cable. Tune the radio to the local APRS frequency. A comprehensive list of frequencies in use can be found on Wikipedia.
  • Page 19 TNC4 User Guide When the TNC4 is turned on, it should appear in the search screen under “BLE TNCs discovered”. Select the TNC4. You should see that the TNC screen appears and shows that it is connected. Select the Beacon icon on the bottom.

  • Page 20: Audio Input Settings

    TNC4 User Guide 9600 Baud Operation The TNC4 supports 9600 baud GFSK operation. This is a much more challenging mode, as it requires a radio which supports this mode and will require some additional tools to properly adjust the TNC to the radio.
  • Page 21 5Hz by adjusting the FFT size. The images here are captured with an FFT size of 8192 and RBW of about 7Hz. Open the Mobilinkd Config app, connect to the TNC and go to the Audio Ouput Settings.

  • Page 22: Troubleshooting

    “Stop Tracking” before attempting to use the Mobilinkd Config app. Conversely, when using the Mobilinkd Config app, make sure you “Disconnect” before you attempt to use APRSdroid. (BLE connections do not have the same limitations, but this has other consequences.)

  • Page 23: Packets Not Digipeated

    Verify that the radio’s squelch is open. TNC Will Not Transmit • Verify that it is not an improper APRS software configuration by using the Mobilinkd Configuration App to send tones. (See Configuring Transmit Volume above.) • Ensure that the cable is firmly plugged into the radio and into the TNC.

  • Page 24: Tnc Resets When Transmitting

    TNC4 User Guide Not Showing Up in APRS-IS (or on aprs.fi) • Make sure an iGate is in range of your radio. • Move closer to the iGate. Windows wants a pairing password • Use the password “123456” TNC Resets When Transmitting Do not operate the TNC if it is resetting when the radio transmits.

  • Page 25: Software Customization

    The code running on the TNC is available on GitHub. See http://www.mobilinkd.com/ and follow the links to GitHub. The firmware for the TNC4 is in the tnc4-firmware repository. This firmware is released under the GPL. Hacking (AKA “voiding your warranty”) is highly encouraged.

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